Paul Menard will drive a yellow No. 15 on a full-time basis in 2007 and Menards will be the sponsor.

When the No. 15 Nextel Cup Series team was formed in late 2000, nobody knew what to expect.

NAPA, who had been with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. since 1998 in the Craftsman Truck and then Busch Series, signed on as the primary sponsor. Michael Waltrip was tapped as the driver and the 2001 Daytona 500 would be there debut.

The team came out of the box and won their very first race. For Waltrip, it was also his first Cup win - ever - after making 463 starts in the series. However, the team’s jubilation was quickly overshadowed with the loss of their leader, Dale Earnhardt, in the same race.

Vowing to continue on in his honor, the team earned three top-fives with one being a second-place run behind teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the July race at Daytona. They rounded out the year 24th in points.

The 2002 season saw them finish 14th in points and continue their winning ways on the restrictor-plate tracks. Winning the July race at Daytona gave Waltrip and the No. 15 team their second win.

In 2003, Waltrip returned to Victory Lane winning the Daytona 500 for the second time in three years. For the first time in his career, he had multiple wins with a victory at Talladega in the fall race en route to 15th place finish.

The following two years were winless ones for the team with points finishes of 20th and 25th, respectively. During the 2005 season, NAPA announced they wouldn’t be returning to the No. 15 team and Waltrip’s departure was announced soon after.

In 2006, the No. 15 took on new colors, new sponsor and new driver with Paul Menard in the Menards Chevrolet. Making seven Cup races, the team showed their worth early by posting a seventh-place finish in the spring Atlanta race.

This season, the No. 15 team will return to full-time competition with Menards on the hood, and Menard behind the wheel.